Like A Slow Fire Burning
by sliceofperfection
Summary: He may not have said the words, but he pressed the button that sent her away. Now guilt ridden and unable to move on without her, Harvey makes a motion to set things right.


**This one-shot is dedicated to Erica (currently sarahsrafferty on tumblr) because without her I would have never discovered Suits or the amazing relationship that is Donna/Harvey. Hopefully I did their characters some justice seeing as this is my first Suits one-shot. Enjoy!**

* * *

Seeing her turn the corner hugging the cardboard box to her chest nearly knocked the wind out of him. Her usually sparkling verdant eyes were now dull and even crackled with slight disdain when they trained on him. His heart tugged in opposite directions until it felt a little broken, the same feeling he recalled experiencing when she screamed at him in the bathroom about how it might be better if he was no longer her boss. But Harvey was the best at keeping up appearances. His generally quick witted and suave behavior didn't waver easily, although Donna proved to be the exception.

Her actions infuriated him. He wanted to kill her for betraying his trust so suddenly after the talk they had a few months prior. If there was one thing that Harvey could always count on, it was her honesty. And now that consistency had been taken away from him. She had taken that from him. Even though he was furious with the way she handled the entire situation with the evidence file, Harvey found it difficult to hate her in this moment when she had lost so much.

Still he purposefully clenched his jaw, his right hand coming up to smooth out the fabric of his black and silver checkered tie. He swallowed back the emotion clogging the back of his throat, tearing his eyes away from her. Noticing the hurt in her eyes made him feel powerless. He always had a plan for everything. Every obstacle thrown his way, he found a way out of it. But this time he hadn't thought quick enough. So Harvey reached for the elevator button before shoving his hands deep inside the pockets of his grey suit pants.

She looked to him with just as steely as a gaze, and he suspected she was making a point to stare him in the eye so he would never forget this moment. The elevator bell rang out, the doors slid open, and she moved with usual poise in her four-inch heels. Her eyes flickered away from his and he noticed the edges of her mouth turning downward into a slight frown. Before she slipped inside the elevator, she glanced over at him and tried to offer him a weak smile despite the obvious tears threatening to fill her brilliant green irises.

His mouth bent downwards, eyes lowering to the floor. She had claimed to protect him, but she committed the one act that he promised a few months earlier would be the undoing to their relationship. It was a hard thing to stomach. Once he heard her heels click off into the distance and the doors slid shut again, Harvey pivoted to witness Mike and Rachel watching the scene unfold with heavy hearts. Rachel ducked her head down and purposefully disappeared to hide her disappointment in losing a co-worker and friend, while Mike stared back at him in astonishment that nothing could be done to save Donna.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Harvey dipped his head forward and breezed down the hall without so much as a word exchanged to anyone. When her desk came into view, now void of any of her possessions, he slowed his pace. He noticed someone out of the corner of his eye, and curiously turned his face to take in Rachel's saddened expression.

"You just let her go," She sounded just as baffled as Mike had looked moments earlier.

"I had no choice," Harvey responded with a defensive edge in his tone. "What she did was unethical not to mention illegal."

"No I mean," Rachel stepped forward with more conviction in her tone, "she got fired and you just let her go."

Harvey shrugged, the contours of his expression displaying deep uncertainty. "What else was I supposed to do?"

* * *

Three days and many glasses of scotch later, Harvey was still mulling over his own question. His latest temp, Maria, wasn't measuring up like he had hoped. It was Jessica who brought it all to his attention after a terse conversation that nearly left the new girl in tears.

"Harvey you can't keep doing this," She told him firmly. "If you keep comparing every girl that comes in here to Donna, you'll never fill the position."

He knew she was right, but he didn't want to admit to this. After all, she was the one who had personally fired _his_ assistant. This was a fact he couldn't get passed. It should have been his job to exchange final words with her. Not Jessica. Harvey spent quite some time wondering if this mattered to her at all like it did to him.

So he continued to stare out of the window from behind his desk, trying to figure out an appropriate response to his boss. Whirling back around in his chair to face her, Harvey folds his fingers together to form a steeple under his chin. "Maybe I don't need to fill the position. Maybe I'll just work without an assistant. You know, like you." He inclined his head towards Jessica, a crooked half smile splaying across his lips. Hopefully she would pick up on his compliment to her over the difficulty he had in replacing Donna.

She smiled gratefully at his words and then couldn't help but tease him, "You aren't that organized."

"I could be," Harvey asserted.

"Just. Try and give Maria a chance. She's more than qualified," Jessica reminded him before turning on her designer heels and carrying on business as usual.

His gaze followed her out the door and settled on the girl with cinnamon colored hair behind the desk that was once filled by a familiar redhead. While she may be qualified, she wasn't and could never be Donna.

* * *

He had only been to her apartment a handful of times when they agreed to split a cab after a few too many celebratory drinks. Their former co-workers in the DA's office dubbed them "the odd couple," since none of the other prosecutors seemed to spend time outside of work with their secretaries. But neither Harvey nor Donna noticed the hierarchal difference during the many years they knew one another. That is, until recently.

Readjusting the front of his suit jacket, Harvey lifted his fist and pounded on the forest green door with the gold numbers 345 mounted on it. It took a few minutes until he heard the pitter pat of bare feet moving across hardwood floors, followed by a lengthy pause before several locks were pushed out of place. The hinges squealed as she pulled the door open to reveal a slightly disheveled Donna.

He first noticed her frizzy ginger waves that were insistent on defying gravity then her bloodshot eyes with a haze surrounding them suggested she'd been drinking. And then his eyes danced over the mint green t-shirt and rose printed flannel pants that hugged her curves in all the right places.

"Harvey," She exhaled, glancing up at him with an exasperated look. "What are you doing here?" The question came out stiffly as she took a step forward to prevent him from stepping inside.

"I'm looking for a new assistant," He spoke suddenly, not really thinking about how she could take this.

Her eyes widened and she remarked sarcastically, "Should I bend over so it's easier for you to kick me?" She cocked her hip to the side for emphasis.

Harvey tilted his head forward and admitted plainly, "I didn't mean it like that, Donna."

"Then what did you mean? Are you somehow going to go behind Jessica's back and re-hire me? Because I mean, it wouldn't be the first time you did something like that." She stepped out into the hall, jumping whenever the door slammed shut.

"It's not like you want me to be your boss anyway," He snapped back unexpectedly.

Donna blinked back, shocked by his change in tone. But two could play at that game, she had gotten pretty good at harnessing her anger at him since being let go. It wasn't necessarily justified, but she couldn't help the human impulse. Pursing her lips together she huffed, "Look I don't have time to argue with you, Harvey. I'm busy these days, you know, searching for a new job. So if you could just tell me what you came here for-"

"Her name's Maria," He interjected in his smooth voice. She gave pause so he could continue; "Jessica thought she'd be a good fit for me. But she's…awful. She puts too much cream in my coffee, thinks my case files should be organized in alphabetical order instead of chronological, she knocked over the Ewing, and..."

"And what?" Donna demanded, squinting up at him suspiciously.

"And she's not you," He admitted, allowing himself to smile as a weight suddenly lifted from his chest at this admission.

Donna snorted in response, her eyes half rolling. "Oh course she's not me. Did you actually think you'd find someone who knows you like I do?"

"I don't want someone who knows me like you do. I want you," He answered boldly, his deep brown eyes staring intensely at her.

Her mouth parted slightly at these words, not sure she completely understood the meaning behind his words. "Well Jessica made it perfectly clear you can't have me," She countered swiftly, figuring this response could be considered them treading on neutral ground.

"Jessica said I couldn't have you as my assistant," Harvey clarified with a tone that suggested his mind had been made up. "She never said anything about me not having you in my life. And I want you…in my life, Donna."

In all the years she'd known him, Harvey Specter never disclosed just how much she meant to him. Sure there had been smart remarks concerning them, even a joke about them being married for seven years, but nothing dripping with so much sincerity as right now. Donna opened her mouth to utter a quick retort, but Harvey suddenly grabbed her face with both hands and pressed his lips to hers for a quick kiss.

His heart hammered against his ribs, stomach fluttering in a way he hasn't felt for a very long time. And judging by the way her mouth fit against his, he sensed she felt it too. His thumbs lightly caressed the swell of her cheeks as his mouth detached after a few seconds before he tilted his head back to gauge her reaction to the kiss.

Donna's eyelids fluttered open at the break of contact. She exhaled while running a hand through her matted hair. Her emerald eyes find Harvey's probing gaze while her lips twitched into a contented half smile. He smirked back at her, dropping his hands from her face to the space above her hips.

It was the one thing both of them had wondered about during all those years. All those late nights at the office where alcohol made the witty comments more flirtatious and bold. All those times he came to her for the can opener, and the tension sparked when their fingers lingered together. All those times when they could have been something more than just co-workers, but refused to let anything affect their work. Now there was no fear of it disrupting their everyday lives. Now they didn't have to wonder anymore.

A soft, nervous laugh escaped her throat as she brought her arms around his neck, urging his lips to meet hers once more. His tongue slips inside, eliciting a muffled groan from her while Harvey's body pressed her into the front door. Her teeth find his bottom lip and pulled at it tantalizingly. Once he's regained the lower portion of his mouth, Harvey kissed the underside of her jaw, moving his mouth along the length of her neck. Donnas' fingers move up to tangle in his expertly styled hair. Her back arches, and their hips fuse together.

"Harvey," She groaned while his hands reach underneath the hem of her shirt and touch her stomach. "Harvey," Donna entreated, tugging at his hair to regain control. His eyes snapped back to hers, waiting to know what should happen next.

Trying to regain her breath she informed him with a wry grin, "We're about to give my neighbors a free peep show."

His dark eyes danced with desire and he chuckled, "Are you inviting me inside? That's kind of presumptuous of you."

"Well you already made it pretty clear you wanted me," She reminded him, her smile broadening. "You should probably get a move on before I change my mind."

"Ok Harriet Specter," He taunted while wrapping one arm around her waist and twisting the doorknob to let them inside.

Her hands rest on his chest, mouth opening out of shock.

Harvey caught the expression on her face and continued smartly, "What? Did you think you could toss my name around like that and I wouldn't hear about it?"

"Who told you?" Donna unbuttoned his suit jacket and slipped it off his shoulders. She then moved around him to hang it up on her coat rack so he wouldn't complain about it getting wrinkled on her floor. She sauntered back into his arms, loosening the knot on his tie and cocking her head to the side. "Michelle Ross?"

His fingers wove underneath hers to unbutton his shirt while she whipped off his tie and let it drop to the floor. Shaking his head with an amused grin Harvey told her, "Something tells me that whole charade was your idea."

Her fingers replaced his while she leaned forward to brush her lips along his ear, "You know I like to role play." Teeth sinking into his earlobe, Harvey snaked his head around to suck on the side of her neck.

Donna's head fell back, causing both of them to stumble into a nearby wall. She gasped at the roughness of the movement coupled with his body thrusting into hers. Harvey kissed her once more as his hands slid underneath her shirt, only breaking contact to tug it over her head. Without warning, Harvey planted light kisses on the soft skin of her breasts before running his thumb over one of her already hardening nipples and circling the other with his tongue. She moaned his name as he alternated between both forms of pleasure until Donna felt like she was losing herself too soon.

She shoved his shoulders; slid off his shirt all the while kissing him so forcefully they end up crashing into the opposite wall. He grinned against her mouth and eagerness as her hands busy themselves with pulling his undershirt over his head. Harvey's thumbs dug into her hips, playing with the elastic waistband as her fingernails trailed up and down his chest. She leaned away from him, a suggestive grin gracing her face. Donna took a few paces back, her hand running down his arm until reaching his hand to lace her fingers through his.

Biting on her lower lip she jerked her head in the direction of the bedroom, and led him down the narrow hallway. They hurried into the darkened room until her knees bent underneath the edge of the bed. She started to crawl back until her head reached the top, Harvey's hands reaching underneath her backside to pull down on the flannel pants. Donna instinctively tried to fumble with his belt buckle, but he swatted her hands away. Taking her wrists in his grip, he pinned her arms above her head and kissed her fervently on the mouth. "I said I wanted you, Donna" He reminded her firmly, releasing her hands and lightly trailing his fingertips down the underside of her arms.

"What if I want you too?" She whined, her hips bucking in the air whenever he spread her legs wider to fit between them.

"Not yet," Harvey breathed hotly against the fabric of her lace-trimmed panties. His mouth grabbed the fabric between his teeth, and he grinned deviously when she groaned at the change in pressure. Moving aside her underwear, Harvey continued to breathe directly onto her already wet center.

Donna wiggled impatiently while he kept teasing her at an agonizingly slow rate. Just when she thought he would make her beg his tongue flicked inside of her warm center. She gasped at how good the contact felt. He messily sucked at her budding clit, slowly slipping two fingers inside of her and curling them in a way he always imagined would provoke a guttural sound from her. He started off slow but not before long did he increase his pace, which gave her cause to tightly clench the bed sheets. Her upper body hinged upwards in a jagged motion before collapsing back onto the bed. As the fullness of his tongue swept over her stiffened clit, her hips jolted out of sensitivity of it all.

He wiped his fingers against her inner thighs before angling his body to fit in alignment with hers. His lips spread across her own, giving her the slightest inclination of what she tasted like. Hands brushing back the hair that splayed across her face, he muttered her name throatily as he felt her fingers numbly unhooked the buckle of his belt and shove his pants passed his hips until he could kick them off.

Her hands reached for the hardness underneath the front of his briefs, causing him to groan against the crook of her neck. Her fingers lightly caressed the width of his waistline, hand delving deeper into his shorts until wrapping around his length. Harvey exhaled hotly against her neck. While her hand pumped up and down his hardened member, he planted soft kisses along her neck in between eager moans.

"Donna," He begged throatily, feeling her thumb circle the head of his penis. "I-"

"Want me now?" She breathlessly finished for him. Her head lifting off the pillows to capture his mouth with hers again in another deep felt kiss.

Harvey's hands pushed down his briefs, releasing his erection that now pressed into the folds of her center. Bringing her legs around his waist and pressing him into her with the heels of her feet, both of them exhaled sharply at the intense sensation. He waited for her body to relax underneath him before slowly rocking his hips back and forth to set a pace that would eventually escalate into something more. Her nails scraped along the top of his scalp, tugging his crisply gelled hair into messy waves. Donna lifted her hips to meet him with each deep thrust, her legs wrapping around his waist and holding on tightly. Harvey's tongue dipped into the hollow of her collarbone and the low grunting sounds escaping his throat turned into breathless gasps for air as his pace quickened and both of them came closer and closer to the edge of their passions.

His hand dropped between them; thumb circling around her clit in purposeful motions to urge her to come before him. The heat steadily rose between them; the motion of bare skin rubbing on bare skin, and warmth of her wetness overcame him to the point where he pulled out to spill his release.

"Oh my God," He groaned out of sheer intoxication when her hand gripped his penis and continuing stroking until he completely finished. Harvey collapsed onto the space beside her.

Once the overall flush of their bodies wore off and the coolness of the air conditioning created bumps to lift over their skin, Donna pulled the sheets up around them to encase their body heat. She propped herself up on an elbow and smirked over at him. Harvey turned his face to hers.

"Have any closing remarks, Mr. Specter?" She couldn't help but tease lightly.

He moved forward to close the space between them. Fusing his lips to hers to steal another sweet kiss from her, Harvey's head then fell back onto the pillow. "Still want me in your life, Debbie?"

Her lips pouted, eyes dancing out of amusement. She muttered sarcastically, "You're so charming, how could I possibly say no?"

Harvey chuckled in response before draping an arm around her waist and bringing her body down to his level. "I meant what I said about that though," His tone remained sincere.

"Yeah I know," She exhaled softly, running her hand along the stubble at his jaw. She brings her mouth to his again for a meaningful kiss, lightly tapping the side of his face with her palm and tilting her face back. "But I still expect a letter of recommendation," She winked playfully.

Harvey groaned, feigning annoyance at her request. "I knew there was going to be a catch," He palmed his forehead.

Donna laughed softly before rolling on top of him. "Well I think it's a pretty fair punishment. Considering you have the high powered job, narrowly escaped disbarment, and now…" She smirked suggestively, grinding her hips on top of his thigh, "…won over the girl."

He sat up until she was seated in his lap. Harvey brought his arms around her, flipping her hair back over her shoulders. "In that case," He murmured against her soft skin, "we need to figure out what makes your skills set so unique again."


End file.
